Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting: A Study of Psychological Symptoms, Child Characteristics, and Family Support

Keywords

Children of teenage mothers, Teenage mothers, Teenage pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnant and parenting adolescents participated in a study examining their levels of anxiety, depression, self-esteem, self-worth, social support, and acculturation, as well as parenting stress and ratings of their children (for parenting adolescents). A total of 166 females (74 pregnant adolescents and 92 parenting adolescents) ranging in age from 13- to 19-years participated in this study. Results indicated that pregnant and parenting adolescent females reported nonclinical levels of emotional and behavioral functioning on average and did not differ in their ratings, except that parenting adolescents reported greater levels of anxiety than pregnant adolescents. In addition, parenting adolescents reported nonclinical levels of parenting stress but reported at-risk clinical functioning of their children in most age groups. Findings also indicated that social support correlated significantly and negatively with internalizing behavioral problems and externalizing behavioral problems for pregnant adolescents, whereas social support was not related to parenting distress, dysfunctional parent-child interaction, or difficult child temperament for parenting adolescents. These results suggested that interventions for parenting adolescents and their children may be helpful for improving their functioning.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2004

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Renk, Kimberly

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Format

Print

Pages

120 p.

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0022783

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences

Accessibility Status

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